College football preview: Red River Rivalry, Ohio State-Oregon and more ahead of Week 7

Week 7 is right here as we glance towards some thrilling convention matchups this weekend that you simply will not wish to miss.

The Purple River Rivalry recreation is Saturday as No. 1 Texas will face No. 18 Oklahoma on the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. In simply his second profession begin, Oklahoma’s true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will probably be making historical past. Oklahoma has gained 4 of the previous 5 Purple River Rivalry video games, however will Hawkins’ poise be sufficient to take down its top-ranked opponent?

No. 3 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State will face-off as convention opponents for the primary time this weekend, however this is not their first time enjoying towards one another. Ten years in the past, Ohio State leaned on its third-string quarterback to rally the Buckeyes after accidents rocked the crew on the place. Ohio State and Oregon met within the nationwide championship recreation that 12 months and the Buckeyes’ third-string quarterback did certainly step up.

Our school soccer specialists preview large video games and storylines to find out about and share quotes of the week forward of Week 7.

Bounce to a bit:Ohio State-Oregon | Purple River RivalryNew convention enemy | Quotes of the Week

How Cardale Jones stepped up when the Buckeyes wanted him most

Security Tyvis Powell remembered “all of the oxygen” evaporating from Ohio Stadium when J.T. Barrett could not stand up with a fractured proper ankle. Tailback Ezekiel Elliott known as it a “shock” seeing Ohio State’s quarterback get carted off the sphere towards Michigan a decade in the past.

“J.T. was having a loopy season,” Elliott stated. “He in all probability would’ve gained the Heisman.”

The Buckeyes had already misplaced star quarterback Braxton Miller within the preseason to shoulder surgical procedure. With the season on the road, Barrett was headed for surgical procedure, too.

“It was like, ‘Oh man, right here we go once more,'” Powell stated. “We overcame the Braxton [injury], which was laborious sufficient. We lastly acquired this practice rolling and growth, we get hit by one other quarterback harm.”

Powell, Elliott and the Buckeyes felt devastated. However additionally they knew their third-string quarterback, Cardale Jones, owned a rocket arm.

“I do not know if I’ve performed with a quarterback with a stronger arm,” Elliott stated. “We knew he had all of the instruments. We simply hadn’t seen it but.”

Saturday in Eugene, Ohio State visits Oregon of their first showdown as Large Ten rivals — 10 years after dealing with off for the nationwide title in Arlington, Texas, the place Jones and fourth-seeded Ohio State accomplished an unlikely championship season.

“The closest individual to do what Cardale did was a fictional character by the title of Steamin’ Willie Beamen,” stated Powell, referring to the Miami Sharks backup quarterback performed by Jamie Foxx within the 1999 movie “Any Given Sunday.”

With Jones, the Buckeyes did not miss a beat. They completed off Michigan, then annihilated Wisconsin 59-0 for the Large Ten championship, to slide into the inaugural four-team playoff. They surprised Alabama within the Sugar Bowl semifinal 42-35. Then, they took down Oregon 42-20 for the nationwide championship. Over these three video games, Jones handed for 742 yards, rushed for one more 90 and totaled six touchdowns.

“I knew the expectations. I knew the tradition we developed,” stated Jones, who, till Barrett’s harm, had by no means performed a significant snap. “All people was anticipated to do their job, and that is how they handled me, from the teaching employees on down. Nobody babied me, nobody tried to stroll me into issues. It was, ‘Hey, you understand your f—ing job, let’s do it.”

Powell realized Jones meant enterprise when he acquired residence from class the Monday after the Michigan recreation. Powell normally discovered his roommate enjoying Name of Responsibility in the lounge. That night, Jones was on the soccer facility learning movie with then offensive coordinator Tom Herman.

“That was a relaxing factor, like ‘Oh, you are locked in,'” Powell stated. “At that time, I knew we’ll be nice.”

Later that week, Herman compiled a spotlight tape of Jones’ greatest performs from Cleveland Glenville Excessive Faculty and confirmed it to him.

“He wished to ensure I used to be reassured that hey, I belong right here,” Jones stated, “and that I’ve all the power on this planet to assist us.”

Barrett saved telling him the identical: “You are right here for a purpose.”

After thumping Wisconsin, the Buckeyes did not collect to look at ESPN’s playoff choice present. Actually, Jones was driving residence to Cleveland when he began getting texts and calls from teammates and coaches, telling him Ohio State had jumped TCU and Baylor, to safe the choice committee’s coveted No. 4 seed.

Ohio State fell behind No. 1 Alabama early of their semifinal matchup. However within the second half on third-and-long, Jones lofted a 47-yard landing strike to Devin Smith to present the Buckeyes the lead. They by no means handed it again.

Towards Oregon within the title recreation, Jones saved on finishing large passes, matching the play of Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. Together with a stingy protection — highlighted by Powell’s fourth-down, goal-line stuff — and Elliott’s relentless speeding, the underdog Buckeyes rolled previous the Geese.

Elliott, who ran for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns, earned offensive MVP title recreation honors. Powell, who additionally had the game-ending interception towards Alabama, was named defensive MVP. And Jones, in just a bit over three video games, cemented an Ohio State legacy. — Jake Trotter

The presence of Oklahoma’s Michael Hawkins Jr.

Dontonio Jordan is the founding father of 940 Elite, a Denton, Texas-based, 7-on-7 program. And earlier than Michael Hawkins Jr. began eluding SEC defenders, Jordan chased the younger quarterback for the higher a part of two years.

It took till the spring of 2023 for Jordan to lastly get Hawkins to affix his crew for a coaching session. When Hawkins stepped onto the turf, Jordan wanted all of two minutes to establish the younger quarterback’s poise, the identical aura Hawkins has oozed since taking up as No. 18 Oklahoma’s starter towards Tennessee on Sept. 21.

“I noticed it earlier than he even tied his footwear,” Jordan, who performed extensive receiver at Stanford from 2012 to 2015, advised ESPN. “I educated with Andrew Luck and I performed with Christian McCaffrey. Guys like which have a sure vitality. They do not even attempt to do it. It is simply their presence. And Mike Hawkins has that type of presence.”

Hawkins’ composure, in addition to his propensity for hurling himself into and over opposing defenders, has outlined a quick, but brilliant begin to life as Oklahoma’s quarterback. On the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, 38 miles from the highschool area the place Jordan first labored with Hawkins, the Sooners’ freshman will make Purple River Rivalry historical past towards No. 1 Texas.

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma

Watch Saturday’s Purple River Rivalry between the Longhorns and Sooners on ABC and ESPN+ at 3:30 p.m. ET.Enroll at the moment! | Watch the sport right here• Connelly: Rating the unbeatens• Horns anticipate Ewers to start out | Extra CFB information

Hawkins will grow to be the primary Oklahoma true freshman quarterback to start out towards the Longhorns within the 120-game lore of this bitter rivalry, in the identical Dallas-Fort Value metroplex the place he as soon as tormented opposing highschool defenses and discovered to throw below the tutelage of Kyler Murray’s father.

“It means quite a bit simply going to a giant stage,” Hawkins stated final week. “It is my first time enjoying on this stadium and towards this crew, too. So it is a large second for me.”

Murmurs of Hawkins’ fast promise and maturity flowed out of the Sooners’ spring and fall camps earlier this 12 months. However ESPN’s No. 7 dual-threat quarterback within the 2024 class solely took middle stage after Brent Venables pulled Jackson Arnold earlier than halftime towards Tennessee final month, benching the previous five-star passer simply 5 video games after handing him the reins. Hawkins’s composure confirmed when he steadied Oklahoma in an eventual 25-15 loss to the Volunteers. Per week later, when Hawkins made his first profession begin at Auburn, his poise overflowed throughout an 11-point, fourth-quarter comeback, which Hawkins flourished by careening into the top zone on a pivotal, late-game 2-point conversion.

“He is a man to guess on simply from a maturity, process-driven, consistency [standpoint],” Venables stated of Hawkins this week. “How he handles robust moments … he is acquired loads of actually good qualities that possibly generally a youthful participant does not have.”

These qualities rapidly grew to become clear to Jordan. From that preliminary coaching session, Hawkins joined 940 Elite, and shortly, he was a commanding presence throughout the 7-on-7 program that has produced gamers akin to Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech freshman All-American linebacker Ben Roberts, Arizona State extensive receiver Jordyn Tyson and a handful of Hawkins’ Oklahoma teammates, together with defenders Peyton Bowen and Eli Bowen and tight finish Davon Mitchell.

At Frisco Emerson Excessive Faculty, the place Hawkins transferred for his senior season after three years at Allen Excessive Faculty, head coach Kendall Miller noticed Hawkins’ traits, too. Past the bodily instruments that powered Hawkins’ 4,211 all-purpose yards and 55 touchdowns in 2023, Miller noticed one thing particular within the maturity of the quarterback who led Emerson to the 5A state semifinal in his lone season on the faculty.

“He had the identical demeanor within the semifinal as he did in Recreation 1,” Miller stated. “I believe he is simply acquired one thing within him. If I may simply discover what he has, I might go get a few of it and provides it to loads of different guys.”

Earlier than he grew to become Oklahoma’s freshman quarterback, Hawkins’ poise was a driving drive of his recreation. When he steps onto certainly one of school soccer’s largest levels Saturday, it could be his best asset. — Eli Lederman

Get to know your new convention enemy

These two packages should not completely unfamiliar with one another. In 2017, James Franklin and Penn State held a 14-point lead heading into the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl Recreation. USC then scored 17 factors, together with a game-winning area purpose within the ultimate seconds to win one of the vital thrilling variations of the bowl recreation in recent times.

Now, seven years later, the No. 4 Nittany Lions are headed again to the West Coast to face the Trojans once more, this time as a convention opponent.

The Trojans are 1-0 (beat Wisconsin) in residence video games towards Large Ten opponents and 0-2 on the highway (misplaced to Michigan and Minnesota).

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The Nittany Lions have among the best defenses and USC’s offense has seemed overpowered within the trenches when dealing with more durable opponents, which has, in flip, requested loads of its improved however not flawless protection. This isn’t precisely the type of get proper recreation that the Trojans wanted after a brutal loss in Minnesota. But it surely additionally would be the type of lure recreation that Franklin’s crew must keep away from on its quest for a playoff spot.

As Lincoln Riley defined just lately, Large Ten video games have had fewer possessions and are slower paced than what he and the Trojans are accustomed. Franklin and Penn State, maybe greater than most groups, thrive in such video games.

Riley has argued that the Trojans are two performs away from being 5-0. On one hand, that is not essentially unsuitable. On the opposite, they’ve allowed themselves to lose two video games due to two performs. Whether or not it is the slower-paced video games with fewer performs, the physicality or just the journey, USC has struggled to carry out. It dropped being ranked No. 11 to unranked after its most up-to-date loss.

This week, the duty will not be any simpler. The Trojans will want a win to maintain any slim playoff or convention hopes alive. — Paolo Uggetti

Quotes of the week

“[They’re] not a measuring stick for myself or for this program. Their success does not have something to do with ours. And their lack of success does not have something to do with ours. So we’re targeted on us — the issues that we are able to management. We compete on the sphere as soon as a season, and it is a large recreation, all the time is.” — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, on whether or not his job is tougher when Texas is driving excessive.

“I am buddies with him. He is an excellent man. … Man, he is an excellent participant. He can sling it. Ball comes out of his hand properly. … He is a dude, for positive. I am excited to go towards him on this large matchup.” — Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, on dealing with former Large 12 rival and Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel. The 2 beforehand confronted one another when Howard was at Kansas State and Gabriel at Oklahoma.

“One of many issues I believe we’ve to debate is rising the scale of the runway right here and the scale of the airport for lots of causes, for the college, for the neighborhood, for companies, and for the athletic division. You are speaking about including one other two hours on prime of your flight. … That is just about an entire day.” — James Franklin, on Penn State having to drive to Harrisburg to have the ability to fly throughout the nation to Los Angeles and face new Large Ten member USC.